Geppi Acquires 28 Disney “Good Housekeeping” Original Art Pages, and Action #15 Cover Art, from Heritage for Over Half a Million Dollars.

TIMONIUM, MD: In May, Heritage Comics purchased and sold the original art to 28 different Good Housekeeping ads created by Disney during the 1930s and early 1940s to promote its shorts and features. Steve Geppi, CEO of Diamond Galleries, was the purchaser.

According to Heritage’s Director of Acquisitions, Ed Jaster, “Jim Halperin and I bought the art from The Alexander Gallery of New York City, as part of a larger deal. We were planning to offer them at auction next year. But when our friend and client Steve Geppi, learned of the purchase and asked us to offer it to him, we felt we should accommodate his request.”

“It took Steve and me less than five minutes to come to an agreement on the price,” said Jim Halperin, Heritage’s co-chairman, who negotiated the sale directly with Geppi. “As always when we deal with Diamond, it was a pleasant and smooth transaction from start to finish.”

Good Housekeeping was the highest circulation magazine in America at the time, and from April 1934 to September 1944 Disney purchased about 125 full-page ads to promote their most important animated films. Most of the pieces contain between four and six original paintings by the very best artists in the Disney studio, including Tom Wood, Hank Porter, and the great Gustaf Tenggren, who drew the concept art for Snow White and Pinocchio. The April 1934 The Grasshopper and the Ants, included in the group purchased by Geppi from Heritage, was the very first color ad art Disney ever published. That color cartoon was, of course, used to promote Disney’s first color ad.

“I had to have them!” said Geppi. “These pieces include the first published color ad art ever done by Disney, as well as some of the finest early Disney art in existence. I’m thrilled to own these fantastic pieces of Disney fine art history.” Geppi has no immediate plans to sell the art.

On the same day Geppi also purchased from Heritage the original Fred Guardineer Superman cover art to Action Comics #15 for a price described by Jaster as “a substantial figure.” Action 15 is the earliest known surviving original cover that features Superman.

For more information about Heritage please visit www.HeritageComics.com. HCA specializes in rare, high-grade comic books, as well as vintage comic and animation art, illustration art, classic toys, movie posters and comics-related collectibles.

Prospective consignors and sellers of top-end comics material, toys, and original art are invited to call Ed Jaster at 214-252-4288 or Fred McSurley at 214-252-4293 to discuss their rare comics and original illustration and comic art. Or visit http://www.HeritageComics.com and click on the “consign” tab. Or simply email Ed Jaster at EdJ@HeritageComics.com or Fred McSurley at FredM@HeritageComics.com. Movie poster consignors, please call Grey Smith at 214-668-6928 or email GreySm@HeritageMoviePosters.com